Gluten free: What's in the mix?

Anyone who was gluten free in the late 90’s knows that gluten free bread left a lot to be desired. The slices were usually very hard and quick to fall apart, resembling more of a rock cake than a loaf of bread.

Over the years gluten free bread has come a long way, as have lots of other gluten free products. There is now a good selection of bread, cereal, pasta, crackers and flour to choose from. Having said that, all gluten free food is not created equal, and it’s important to remember that gluten free does not automatically mean healthy.

What is gluten?

Gluten is a protein and is found in a handful of common grains such as wheat and rye, as well as less common grains such as barley and triticale (which is a cross between wheat and rye). Gluten helps food maintain its shape by acting like a glue and holding food together. Gluten can be found in breads, cereals, pastas and baked goods that are made using these grains, as well as sauces, marinades, soups and other items that add flour or thickening agents from these grains.

What common foods do not contain gluten?

Grains that do not contain gluten include rice, corn and soy, as well as some less commonly known grains such as buckwheat, sorghum and tapioca.  

So how do you pick the best of the bunch when it comes to gluten free food?

Bread

Gluten free bread is now as easy to work with as any other bread. Commonly made from rice flour or soy flour and a range of starches derived from tapioca or maize (corn),  most gluten free breads are naturally high in fibre with more than 3g per serve. This is also boosted by the addition of psyllium husks, which are a natural source of insoluble fibre.

There are also plenty of good options available for gluten free pizza bases, wraps, rolls, fruit bread and even hot cross buns. Be mindful of how many ingredients go into any bread-based product you buy. Try to pick those with fewer ingredients on the list, and ingredients that you recognise. The more complex the ingredients and processing that goes into making bread, the less healthy it is.    

Cereal

Choosing gluten free cereal is mostly about looking for the wholegrain and therefore high fibre options. Whilst corn flakes and rice bubbles are naturally gluten free, these do not contain a lot of fibre or provide long-lasting energy.

When it comes to choosing a healthy gluten free cereal, look for those with fewer ingredients, mainly whole grains and less than 15g of sugar per 100g of cereal. Choosing gluten free flakes, muesli blends or puffed grains is also good, rather than moulded cereals as these will have gone through a lot more processing (moulded means formed into shapes).

Take our handy wallet card with you when shopping as this makes it easier to know what to look for when reading food labels.

Pasta

Choosing a healthy gluten free pasta means looking for varieties that contain wholegrain flour. There are plenty of gluten free pasta options that are made using refined corn and rice however these contain very little fibre or long-lasting energy. Choose those that use a blend of brown rice flour or buckwheat, along with the corn or rice as this pasta will have more substance, meaning it will provide long lasting energy and more nutrients.

Crackers

Once upon a time the humble rice cake was the only option for a gluten free cracker. Now you can buy gluten free rice cakes, corn cakes, rice crackers, seed crackers, crispbreads, wafers and lots more.

Look for a cracker with less than 400mg of sodium and less than 10g of fat per 100g. Remember to look for a short list of ingredients (that you recognise). Crackers can easily go from being a healthy wholegrain option for a mid-afternoon snack, to a high salt, high fat snack that is more of a highly processed chip.  

Flour

Most gluten free flours are made from refined rice or corn flour and are therefore low in fibre and long lasting energy. To boost the fibre and overall nutrition, make a half half blend using brown rice flour with the commercial flour. Or use any wholegrain gluten free flour that your family enjoys such as buckwheat or sorghum flour. You can also add extra ingredients such as LSA (a ground up mix of linseed, sunflower and almond), green banana flour or almond meal to boost nutrients and increase overall fibre. Just make sure that you also add the required amount of gluten free baking powder that is needed for any additional flour that is not sold as self-raising.    

Whipping up a banana bread or a batch of savoury muffins with gluten free flour is so easy that I now only bake using gluten free flour. That way we can all enjoy the same snacks.

What about gluten free snacks off the shelf?

Gluten free snacks are no different to any other type of commercial snacks, and sometimes gluten free snacks may even end up more processed as food manufacturers try and mimic the taste or texture of food made using wheat flour.

Remember that store bought snack foods are mostly ultra-processed foods, and being gluten free makes no difference. Being ultra-processed means the food contains a long list of manufactured ingredients that you don’t recognise or wouldn’t have in the cupboard at home. Ultra-processed foods are usually made in a factory and often don’t contain a lot of real food. They typically have a long shelf life, are cheap to produce, packaged brightly and irresistibly tasty.

Where you can, stick to making simple snacks from scratch and avoid the processed and packaged food aisle.